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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that the sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is a “fundamental act of justice” after decades of repression, but it was “a moment of risk and uncertainty” for the Mideast. Speaking at the White House, Biden said the U.S. was not sure of Assad’s whereabouts, but was monitoring reports he was seeking refuge in Moscow. Biden credited action by the U.S. and its allies for weakening Syria’s backers — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. He said “for the first time” that they could no longer defend Assad’s grip on power. “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East,” Biden said. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. WASHINGTON (AP) — The sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is forcing the Biden administration and the incoming Trump team to confront intensifying questions about the possibility of greater conflicts across the Middle East. President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled his country, which his family had ruled for decades , because close ally Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, “was not interested in protecting him any longer.” Those comments on Trump’s social media platform came a day after he used another post to decry the possibility of the U.S. intervening militarily in Syria to aid the rebels, declaring, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.” The Biden administration had no intention of intervening, according to President Joe Biden’s national security adviser. Biden was meeting with his national security team at the White House on Sunday. He was expected to make public comments later in the day. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. Assad’s fall adds to an already tense situation throughout much of region on many fronts, including Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza and its fragile cease-fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump, who takes office Jan. 20, 2025, made a connection between the upheaval in Syria and Russia’s war in Ukraine , noting that Assad’s allies in Moscow, as well as in Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, “are in a weakened state right now.” The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham . The Biden administration has designated the group as a terrorist organization and says it has links to al-Qaida, although Hayat Tahrir al-Sham says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida. Vice President-elect JD Vance , a veteran of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, wrote on own social media Sunday to express skepticism about the insurgents. “Many of ‘the rebels’ are a literal offshoot of ISIS. One can hope they’ve moderated. Time will tell,” he said, using another acronym for the group. Trump has suggested that Assad’s ouster can advance the prospects for an end to fighting in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022. Trump wrote that Putin’s government “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine” and the Republican called for an immediate cease-fire, a day after meeting in Paris with the French and Ukrainian leaders . Daniel B. Shapiro, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, said the American military presence will continue in eastern Syria but was “solely to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and has nothing to do with other aspects of this conflict.” “We call on all parties in Syria to protect civilians, particularly those from Syria’s minority communities to respect international military norms and to work to achieve a resolution to include the political settlement,” Shapiro said. “Multiple actors in this conflict have a terrible track record to include Assad’s horrific crimes, Russia’s indiscriminate aerial bomb bombardment, Iranian-back militia involvement and the atrocities of ISIS,” he added. Shapiro, however, was careful not to directly say Assad had been deposed by the insurgents. “If confirmed, no one should shed any tears over the Assad regime,” he said. As they pushed toward the Syrian capital of Damascus, the opposition freed political detainees from government prisons. The family of missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice renewed calls to find him. “To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we’re waiting for Austin,” Tice’s mother, Debra, said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media. “We know that when he comes out, he’s going to be fairly dazed & he’s going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!” Tice disappeared in 2012 outside Damascus, amid intensification of what became a civil war stretching more than a decade. ___ Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain, contributed to this report. Will Weissert, The Associated Press
Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’Citizenship ceremony plan had potential to ‘damage community relations in NI’
Mayor Ken Sim says abolition of elected park board will mean $70M in savingsSpaceX has just launched 20 Starlink satellites with its recent Falcon 9 launch, with the first Starlink satellite direct-to-cell (DTC) phone constellation now complete. In a new post on X, Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk said that the " first Starlink satellite direct to cell phone constellation is now complete. This will enable unmodified cellphones to have Internet connectivity in remote areas. Bandwidth per beam is only ~10Mb, but future constellations will be much more capable ". The official SpaceX account posted on X, announcing that "Falcon 9 launches 20 Starlink satellites, completing the first orbital shell of our Direct to Cell constellation". If you haven't heard about Starlink's exciting new direct-to-cell satellite communications, it allows smartphones to connect directly with satellites, bypassing traditional cell towers. DTC aims to eliminate dead zones, enhancing connectivity for mobile and IoT devices, especially in remote areas where cell service is hard (or impossible). SpaceX' and its new Starlink DTC technology currently works through the following carriers and countries: The bandwidth isn't as high as people would hope, but it's not for streaming 4K video in the middle of nowhere, with Musk saying that the bandwidth per beam is only around 10Mbps, with future constellations to be "much more capable". Starlink's future upgrades for its satellite internet connectivity (the dish on your roof, not DTC to your phone) will be blasting down speeds of up to 2Gbps+ or more in the near future, so Starlink is truly trailblazing (or should that be stargazing, whichever) with its DTC + Starlink connectivity in the future.Bitcoin’s value soared to new heights this week, extending a post-election surge as President-elect Donald Trump vows to boost cryptocurrencies. Wealth advisers and personal finance experts say they’re hearing from more people taking a fresh look at the market, but their advice remains: Dip a toe in, don’t dive headfirst. “My POV on the risks and benefits of bitcoin hasn’t changed much, if at all,” said Samuel Deane, president and CEO of Deane Wealth Management, a financial advisory firm. “Though the incoming administration is pro-crypto right now, I’ve seen enough in politics to know that can change at any time.” The price of bitcoin traded north of $100,000 late last week after clearing the six-figure threshold for the first time Wednesday, as investors bet on the next administration resetting the rules for an industry that has drawn scrutiny from regulators. Trump, who swiftly took credit for the bitcoin milestone, named billionaire investor David Sacks a White House “crypto czar” and tapped crypto advocate Paul Atkins to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission. The president-elect wrote on his social media app that Atkins “recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before.” But for ordinary investors, the same old tenets apply, Deane said. While he’s a long-term bitcoin investor himself, clients who’ve added crypto to their portfolios are “doing it on their own after we establish the proper guardrails,” he said. “First understand the basics of bitcoin as a decentralized digital currency,” he advised, which includes taking stock of its volatility. The token was trading at around $43,000 back in January and hovered around $70,000 days before the election — but around this time two years ago, it cost just $17,000. Investors have to decide if they can stomach such big swings, Deane said. “This is something that’s been going on forever as it relates to the cryptoverse,” said Lee Baker, founder and president at Claris Financial Advisors. “You get these quick run-ups, but then you get some very sharp pullbacks. The thing you have to caution clients and other investors is that, ‘Hey, listen, you’ve got to be real careful to do this stuff in small doses.’” Baker said his firm has received “multiple queries” from clients looking to learn about bitcoin as it surged following Trump’s win, but he’s heard more interest lately in other coins such as XRP, the cryptocurrency of the Ripple blockchain network, as well. He said he advises first-time crypto investors not to allocate more than 2% of their portfolios to bitcoin. Bitcoin-based exchange-traded funds can help limit direct risk and are often a good place to start, Baker said. These options are new, but there are already plenty of popular ones to choose from, such as the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, which launched last year after the company won a lawsuit against the SEC that helped open the door to bitcoin ETFs. Some of those investment products have exploded since Trump’s re-election . Yet, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell spoke skeptically of bitcoin this week, saying that it’s still widely treated “as a speculative asset.” “People are not using it as a form of payment or as a store of value. It’s highly volatile,” he said. Contrary to what advocates have long argued, “it’s not a competitor for the dollar, it’s really a competitor for gold,” he said at a DealBook conference Wednesday. Deane also sounded a note of caution amid the recent excitement: “Not every investment that does well needs to be a part of your portfolio.” Crypto devotees, though, are feeling buoyant. Leaders in the space have credited Trump for bitcoin’s surge, heralding a new era of looser regulation after SEC Chairman Gary Gensler’s impending Jan. 20 exit . Gensler, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, has taken a hard-line approach to cryptocurrencies, which have contributed to a spate of cybercrimes and scams that the FBI says cost consumers billions of dollars last year alone. Under his leadership, the commission tried and failed to block bitcoin ETFs from hitting the market and also took major crypto exchanges to court in recent years, part of a controversial effort to assert more control over the sector. For the crypto industry, “Gensler’s departure in and of itself was a positive,” said Isaac Boltansky, a director of policy research at the financial firm BTIG. “There will be a sea change ideologically at the commission and throughout government,” he predicted. If confirmed by the Senate to a five-year term succeeding Gensler, Atkins is expected to take a similarly aggressive stance — just in the opposite direction, Boltansky said. He’ll be aided by two sitting commissioners, Hester Peirce and Mark Uyeda, who previously worked with Atkins during his earlier stint at the SEC during the George W. Bush administration. But despite the personnel changes, there are “still jurisdictional battles” to come, Boltansky warned, noting that the agency and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have sometimes stepped on each others’ toes over crypto regulation. “There are too many cooks in the kitchen, and they can’t agree on what they’re cooking,” he said. He added that the key question of whether cryptocurrencies should be classified as securities is still being worked through in the courts, beyond the reach of federal regulators. The answer will determine whether they can be treated like stocks. But Boltansky said the next Congress, which will be narrowly Republican-led , is at least likely to deliver more clarity on stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to that of another currency or commodity such as the dollar. In the meantime, prospective investors should think through how and whether crypto fits into their existing progress on other financial goals, said Kevin Mahoney, a certified financial planner and founder of Illumint, a millennial-focused firm. Try to avoid being put “in a much less stable financial situation, or you’ve missed out on some of the other longer-term investments that you wanted to make, because you put too much in,” he said. Rather than bet on what the government may or may not do, “I’d rather have my clients focus on what we know to be true, or what historical stock market data, for example, tells us is likely to be true,” he said. “That’s often going to be much more empowering for them and much more likely to succeed.”The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — KyKy Tandy scored 21 points and Florida Atlantic pulled away late in the second half to beat Oklahoma State 86-78 on Thursday in the Charleston Classic. It was the second straight loss by a Power Four team in the tournament after Miami fell to Drake in the opener. Florida Atlantic (4-2) plays the Bulldogs in the semifinals on Friday, while Oklahoma State (3-1) battles the Hurricanes in a consolation game. Leland Walker completed a three-point play with 4:38 left in the second half to give FAU its first lead, 68-67, since it was 16-14. Tandy made a 3-pointer from the corner to cap FAU’s 11-1 run for a 75-68 lead with 2:41 left. Oklahoma State went five-plus minutes without a field goal late in the second half until Brandon Newman made a fast-break layup with 1:17 remaining. But Ken Evans Jr. answered with a three-point play at the other end for a nine-point lead. The Cowboys turned it over on their next possession with 52.3 seconds left. Evans finished with 13 points, Walker scored 12 and Tre Carroll had 10 for FAU. The Owls attempted 49 free throws leading to three Oklahoma State players fouling out and three others finishing with four fouls. RELATED COVERAGE Jeremy Roach rescues No. 13 Baylor with buzzer-beater in 5th game after standout 4 years at Duke No. 16 Indiana remains unbeaten with 69-58 win over UNC Greensboro Mark Few likes No. 3 Gonzaga’s toughness after win over future Pac-12 ‘partner’ SDSU Khalil Brantley had 16 points and Robert Jennings II scored a career-high 14 points to go with 11 rebounds for Oklahoma State. Patrick Suemnick was helped off the floor with 1:40 left in the first half and did not return. Oklahoma State led 39-34 at halftime despite making just 33.3% of its shots. FAU shot a better percentage from the field (47.8) than at the free-throw line (46.7) in the first half. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Iconic band Steps have announced they are bringing their official musical Here & Now to the Plymouth Theatre Royal. The show will form part of a wider UK and Ireland tour and has already been ;wowing audiences' in Birmingham for the last few weeks, The tour will run from August 2025 to May 2026, and will include a series of shows at Theatre Royal Plymouth in March 2026. Here and Now began previews at The Alexandra, Birmingham on Saturday, November 9 and will finish it’s run on Saturday, November 30 this year. The musical was The Alexandra’s fastest selling on-sale in history, which saw 50 per cent capacity sold within 24 hours. Featuring Steps’ most beloved hit songs, the show is produced by the band and ROYO with Pete Waterman and Fascination Management with an original book by Shaun Kitchener and is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh and choreographed by Olivier Award winning Matt Cole. Casting for the UK and Ireland tour is to be announced. Welcome to seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, where it's Friday night, the vibe is right, and everyone's dancing in the aisles. But when Caz discovers the shelves are stocked with lies and betrayal, the summer of love she and her friends dreamed of suddenly feels like a tragedy. Have they all lost their chance of a 'happy ever after'? Or does love have other plans in store... Steps (Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins’, Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee) are the UK’s most successful mixed sex pop group of all time, with 14 top five singles, 4 number one albums, 22 million record sales, 500 million streams & 11 sold-out national arena tours under their belts. The band’s hits include #1 singles Tragedy/Heartbeat and Stomp, the gold certified One For Sorrow & Better Best Forgotten, the silver certified 5,6,7,8, Last Thing On My Mind, Love’s Got A Hold Of My Heart, Chain Reaction, all of which will feature in the musical alongside many more. Steps’ 2017 comeback tour sold out all 300,000 tickets, making it one of the biggest pop tours of the year. The band have since continued to release new music including two further iTunes #1 singles, the Sia-penned What The Future Holds in 2020 and the Michelle Visage duet Heartbreak In This City in 2022. In 2022 Steps celebrated their 25th anniversary with a headline summer tour and released the #1 album Platinum Collection which means they join ABBA, Rolling Stones and Stereophonics as the only groups in UK history to score #1 albums in four consecutive decades. Musical supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Matt Spencer-Smith, set design is by Tom Rogers, costume design is by Gabriella Slade, lighting design by Howard Hudson, sound design by Adam Fisher, wigs, hair and makeup design by Sam Cox, casting by Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Casting, Music Technology by Phij Adams with Production Management by Setting Line. and we want you to join us. Once you sign up for our updates, we'll send the latest breaking news and biggest stories of the day straight to your phone. To join our community, you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select 'Join Community'. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the PlymouthLive team. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'Exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our . .In reference to the Times Opinion Page of Sunday, Dec. 1. How could you fill over a third of a page with an Editorial “Our list of what we’re thankful for in the Quad Cities” without one mention of Quad City Arts and Festival of Trees who, on that day, ended a 10-day premiere holiday event celebrating the arts with live entertainment, student art, a gallery featuring local artists, hundreds of local designers from children to adults creating trees, wreaths, gingerbread houses, stockings, ornaments, table trimmings and vignettes. This event raises funds for Quad City Arts to give art and cultural experiences back to our community through the Visiting Artist Program, Public Sculpture Program, Art at the Airport and the Gallery in Rock Island. Serving a six-county area in eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois, Quad City Arts is dedicated to the growth and vitality of the Quad City region through the presentation, development, and celebration of the arts. People are also reading... As a Grand Patron Sponsor of Festival of Trees, it would seem logical and fitting that you would consider Quad City Arts and Festival of Trees worthy of mention on your list of things to be thankful for. Pat Wohlford Bettendorf Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!
Arqit Sets Fiscal Year 2024 Conference Call for Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. ETTrudeau says fall of Assad 'ends decades of brutal oppression' for Syria
CDC chief urges focus on health threats as agency confronts political changes
Jimmy Carter, who rose from humble peanut farmer to president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, dies aged 100Article content MINNEAPOLIS — Sam Darnold threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, and the Minnesota Vikings pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 on Sunday for their sixth straight victory. Darnold added another highlight to his brilliant first season in Minnesota following the departure of Cousins in free agency to Atlanta with a 22-for-28 performance and no turnover-worthy plays despite heavy first-half pressure. Darnold passed for 250 yards after halftime to help the Vikings (11-2) break a 21-all tie early in the fourth quarter and stay one game behind NFC North-leading Detroit with a final-week matchup looming with the Lions. Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and three scores and Justin Jefferson racked up seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns after going the past six games without scoring. Cousins threw two more interceptions without a touchdown in his return to Minnesota, where he was greeted by loud boos and left with Atlanta’s fourth consecutive loss to tumble out of first place in the NFC South and fall one game behind Tampa Bay. EAGLES 22, PANTHERS 16 PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley rushed for 124 yards to break the Eagles season record, Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, and Philadelphia won its ninth straight game over Carolina. The Eagles (11-2) maintained their position as the No. 2 team in the NFC, behind Detroit (12-1), after a mostly lethargic effort against the Panthers (3-10). Barkley added another milestone in his MVP push when he used a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter to surpass LeSean McCoy’s Eagles record of 1,607 yards, set in 2013. Barkley now has 1,623 yards with four games left. A 12 1/2-point underdog according to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Panthers played more like a team with playoff seeding at stake. STEELERS 27, BROWNS 14 PITTSBURGH — Russell Wilson threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns as Pittsburgh pulls away from mistake-prone Cleveland. The Steelers (10-3) beat Cleveland at home during the regular season for the 21st straight time, even with leading receiver George Pickens watching from the sideline while missing the first game of his career due to a groin injury. While it took Wilson a while to get going with the productive if volatile Pickens out of the mix, he found his footing in the second half by connecting on touchdown passes to Pat Freiermuth and Van Jefferson as the Steelers moved two games ahead of rival Baltimore for the AFC North lead with four weeks to go. BUCCANEERS 28, RAIDERS 13 TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns, helping Tampa Bay beat Las Vegas and take over sole possession of first place in the NFC South. Mayfield tossed scoring passes of 15 yards and 29 yards to rookie Jalen McMillan. Rachaad White scored on a 5-yard reception and a 3-yard run as the Bucs (7-6) won for the third straight week against a last-place opponent to revive their hopes for a fourth consecutive division title. The Raiders (2-11) lost quarterback Aidan O’Connell to a knee injury in addition to extending the NFL’s longest losing streak to nine games. O’Connell was carted off the field after being shoved to the ground by Bucs defensive lineman Calijah Kancey after throwing a pass late in the third quarter. The quarterback, in his second game back after being sidelined nearly six weeks with a broken thumb, remained on the ground after an 8-yard, third-down completion to Jakobi Meyers. Kancey chased O’Connell out of the pocket toward the Bucs sideline and shoved him from behind after the ball was released. Kancey was not penalized for a late hit. DOLPHINS 32, JETS 26, OT MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tua Tagovailoa threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith in overtime and Miami overcame Aaron Rodgers’ first 300-yard passing game in nearly three years to beat New York. After Jason Sanders tied it with 7 seconds left in regulation with a 42-yard field goal, Tagovailoa quickly moved the Dolphins (6-7) down the field and they beat the Jets for the ninth straight time in Miami. That came after Anders Carlson gave the struggling Jets (3-10) _ who were eliminated from postseason contention for the 14th straight year — the lead with a 42-yarder with 52 seconds remaining. But Malik Washington put the Dolphins in great position to help set up Sanders’ field goal with a 45-yard kickoff return to Miami’s 46-yard line. Tagovailoa was 33 of 47 for 331 yards and two TDs. He had just one incompletion on Miami’s eight-play, 70-yard scoring drive that was capped by Smith’s fourth touchdown of the season. Smith didn’t have a catch before catching three for 44 yards on the winning drive. Rodgers was 27 of 39 for 339 yards, ending a drought of 34 regular-season games without a 300-yard passing game — dating to Dec. 12, 2021, while with Green Bay — and had a TD pass to Davante Adams. JAGUARS 10, TITANS 6 NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tank Bigsby ran for an 8-yard touchdown with 6:46 left as Jacksonville snaps a five-game skid and ends Tennessee’s slim playoff hopes. Jacksonville (3-10) came in already eliminated with Trevor Lawrence out for the rest of this season. The Jaguars leave with only their second victory in the past 11 trips to Music City and second in the past three. The Titans (3-10) came in needing to win out to even have a chance of their first playoff berth since the 2021 season ended with a divisional loss on their home field. Tennessee has fired both a general manager and coach since then. SAINTS 14, GIANTS 11 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Brian Bresee leaped over the Giants’ line to block a potential tying field goal with 11 seconds left, and New Orleans held on for a victory over New York after losing quarterback Derek Carr to an injury late in the fourth quarter. The Giants lost their eighth straight, one shy of the team record. Carr, who finished 20 of 31 for 219 yards, was hurt with just under four minutes to play when he dived for a first down near the Saints 40 and landed hard. He left the field shortly after the play and it almost cost the Saints (5-8). New York got the ball back at its 27 with 1:21 to play and drove to the Saints 12, with Drew Lock scrambling for 25 yards on fourth down and then finding Malik Nabers for 23 yards. The Giants tried twice to throw to the end zone for a winning touchdown before sending out Graham Gano to try to force overtime. Gano’s kick was a little low and the Giants couldn’t defend the jumping Breese, who got a hand on the ball.
Some 43 per cent said they expect US equities to be the best-performing asset class in 2024, compared with 27 per cent of respondents pre-election. SINGAPORE - More Asian business owners and large family offices are increasing their allocations to US equities and real estate, fuelled by optimism over US President-elect Donald Trump’s pro-business policies. As a result, they are seeking help to structure their US investments and address any tax compliance issues ahead of Trump’s inauguration, scheduled on Jan 20, 2025. While the S&P 500 US stock market index has been tempered in recent days by inflation concerns, it remains near record highs and is up more than 20 per cent this year. According to the latest Global Fund Manager Survey from Bank of America, respondents were more optimistic after the US election, which took place on Nov 5. Allocations to US equities surged post-election to the highest level since August 2013, with investors holding 29 per cent of the asset class, compared with 10 per cent in October. Some 43 per cent said they expect US equities to be the best-performing asset class in 2024, compared with 27 per cent of respondents pre-election. “A number of our clients are allocating more of their assets to US real estate and equities because one of the core fundamental tenets of what Trump wants to do is reduce the corporate red tape as well as corporate tax rate from 21 per cent to 15 per cent,” said Mr Kurt Rademacher, partner and head of US private client at international law firm Charles Russell Speechlys. “That’s going to help corporate earnings after tax, which could drive up stock prices. If businesses are doing better, there’s more money in people’s pockets. That would potentially also increase the real estate market as a rising tide lifts all boats.” Within the first eight trading days since the US election results, the market value of US equities increased by US$2 trillion (S$2.7 trillion), or 3 per cent. The US dollar gained 3 per cent against an index of the most liquid currencies. Mr Rademacher, who splits his time between Singapore and the US, said regional clients are seeking help to structure their US investments and address any US tax compliance issues. The seasoned professional in international wealth transfer planning told The Straits Times that in Asia, many of the ultra high-net-worth (UHNW) families from China, Indonesia, Taiwan and the Philippines have some US connections. Most of them have children studying there, are working on Wall Street or are married to an American. “We step in and try to manage the tax situation for them. For those few clients in the region who don’t have US family members, they all have US equity exposure or US real estate exposure, and they too need advice,” Mr Rademacher said. A lawyer with another law firm also shared that he has been kept busy handling inquiries from wealthy clients who want to invest in the US, leveraging Singapore family offices as an investment vehicle to do so. Charles Russell Speechlys’ head of private office Marcus Yorke-Long said Trump’s victory provides direction, which in turn underpins investor confidence as there is now an element of predictability that can be applied to global markets and geopolitics. “Mr Trump has a very strong voice, and he now also has a very strong mandate. Investors and families tend to find it somewhat easier to plot their path when there are elements of conviction and direction as opposed to uncertainty and mixed messages,” said Mr Yorke-Long, whose team handles relationships with global families seeking broad conversations across sectors, territories and generations. Political change provides an opportunity for UHNWs to review their global structures and tax mitigation strategies, Mr Yorke-Long said. Mr Rademacher said individuals who have not filed their US income tax returns should do so promptly, as the Internal Revenue Service is ramping up efforts to pursue non-filers. He added that Singaporeans who have China-centred manufacturing business can expect a period of uncertainty and chaos. This is because Trump has announced his intention to impose a blanket tariff ranging from 10 per cent to 20 per cent on all imports, along with additional tariffs of at least 60 per cent on products imported from China. Goldman Sachs expects the US to impose additional tariffs averaging 20 per cent on Chinese products in the first half of 2025. “There are lots of questions about whether Trump really wants a 60 per cent import duty, or whether what he really wants is a free trade agreement with China, or freer trade agreement with China. “But there will be a period of time when that’s going to be difficult for Singaporean clients with Chinese businesses in the manufacturing sector,” said Mr Rademacher. Even allies of the US may be affected by Trump’s tariff-fuelled war as global trade remains strongly intertwined with the US and Chinese economies. Allianz Trade, an insurance group, said rising US-China tensions are reshaping global supply chains and paving the way for new trade powerhouses. It identified 25 economies that could benefit from this new world order. “Beyond fast-growing economies such as India, this shift has opened doors for nations like Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates to step up as next-generation trade hubs,” Ms Francoise Huang, senior economist for the Asia-Pacific and trade at Allianz Trade said. For everyone else with US connections, they should be better off from a pure tax policy perspective, Mr Rademacher said. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now
Put politics aside and act on online harms, mother of sextortion victim tells MPs OTTAWA — Parents of children who died because of online sexual extortion are urging MPs to act on online harms legislation. Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press Dec 5, 2024 3:02 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Parents of children who died because of online sexual extortion are urging MPs to act on online harms legislation. A man uses a computer keyboard in Toronto on Oct. 9, 2023 photo illustration. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy OTTAWA — Parents of children who died because of online sexual extortion are urging MPs to act on online harms legislation. The online harms bill is among the legislation that's been blocked from moving forward for months due to a parliamentary privilege debate raging between the Liberals and Conservatives. The bill targets seven categories of online behaviour, from the non-consensual sharing of intimate images to content that can be used to bully a child, and would create a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada. Justice Minister Arif Virani announced plans to split the bill into two parts this week, heeding calls from critics to separate the more controversial hate speech provisions from the child exploitation components. But the bill still can't move forward until the privilege filibuster is over. Barbie Lavers, whose teenage son died by suicide after being extorted online over intimate images, told a House of Commons committee Thursday that she supports the online harms legislation. Lavers asked politicians from all parties to come to a temporary alliance and stop using children as political pawns to show "one party is more correct than the other." "The longer Bill C-63 remains a political issue, the more children we will lose. We beg you to please stop wasting time and do something to help save our children," she said. Carol Todd, whose daughter Amanda died by suicide due to online sextortion, told MPs it is hurtful to watch political arguments after waiting 12 years for legislation. The Conservatives say they won't end the filibuster until either the Liberals hand over unredacted documents related to misspending at a now-defunct green technology fund to the RCMP, or the NDP agrees to bring down the government. The Liberals need the support of an opposition party to end or pause the privilege debate, which the NDP did last week when it allowed the government to pass legislation to enact a temporary federal sales tax holiday. But the New Democrats say they, too, want the documents handed over and will not agree to end the debate entirely. Virani said the goal of breaking the legislation into two was "to find consensus amongst parliamentarians on the things that we can agree to immediately." Conservative justice critic Larry Brock called for Virani to "give up" on the bill and instead adopt a Conservative private member's bill tackling online harms. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner, who introduced that bill, repeatedly put it forward as a superior alternative to the government's proposed legislation while questioning the witnesses at committee Thursday. Rempel Garner said her concern with the government bill is that it puts the social media platforms' responsibilities "into a regulator that hasn't been built and it gives online platforms the ability to wiggle out of this two, three, four years in the future." "I would direct your attention to C-412," she told Todd. The first part of the government bill, which Virani plans to prioritize, would create a new regulator to compel social media companies to outline how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, particularly minors. It would also update rules around mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse material by internet service providers and some online services. Rempel Garner's bill would include measures modernizing the existing law against criminal harassment so a victim can ask a judge to force social media companies to identify someone who has repeatedly harassed them online. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More National News Chief 'disappointed' to see clean water used as a political tactic by Conservatives Dec 5, 2024 3:34 PM Brown: Indian diplomat pushed back when he used the words "Sikh nation" Dec 5, 2024 3:26 PM Feds outlaw another 324 types of firearms, propose donating guns to Ukraine Dec 5, 2024 3:25 PM Featured FlyerCollege Football Playoff betting guide: First-round odds, title favoritesRHOC's Emily Simpson Shows Off Holiday Hair TransformationNationwide has announced exactly which of their accounts are eligible for a new £100 bonus, but there are certain conditions. As people continue to straddle with increasing prices and the cost-of-living crisis, any extra money is a welcome gift. And now, the banking society is offering exactly that for people who have accounts with them. It said: "As a modern mutual we are able to share some of our profits with members who bank and borrow or who bank and save with us. We will do this by making a one-off payment of £100 to those who qualify. We have called this the Nationwide Fairer Share Payment." To be eligible, people must own one of a qualifying current account and qualifying savings or a qualifying account and qualifying mortgage. To be a qualifying current account, your account must have been open on March 31 and any additional requirements depend on the type of current account you had on that date. The qualifying accounts which have the possibility of being sent the £100 bonus are: FlexPlus when the monthly fee is paid, the FlexOne, FlexStudent or FlexGraduate but you must have received or made one payment in or out of your account in March. However, those requirements don't apply if you have switched your account between January 1 and March 31. The FlexAccount, FlexDirect or FlexBasic are also eligible under the follow conditions. One of these requirements must be met. Either in two of of the three months of January, February and March 2024 you received at least £500 in your current account or made at least two payments out of your current account. Or, in two of those three months you have made at least 10 payments out of the account. Nationwide says you will have had qualifying savings if you had at least £100 in total in one or more personal savings accounts or cash ISAs with Nationwide at the end of any day in March 2024. These do not include money held in your savings accounts, money or other assets in an investment accounts such as stocks and shares, or money in an account in the name of someone else. A qualifying mortgage means you must have owed the baking society at least £100 on your residential mortgage on March 31. It does not include a mortgage with one of the bank's subsidiaries such as The Mortgage Works (UK) plc, UCB Home Loans Corporation Limited, Derbyshire Home Loans Limited, or E-Mex Home Funding Limited. A mortgage which was applied for but wasn't completed by March 31, as well as Nationwide commericial mortgages are not eligible. For those who have a joint account, Nationwide says the terms and conditions apply to each person individually. The bank explained: "This means that if a qualifying current account, or qualifying mortgage is in joint names, the product and the whole of any balance will count towards each individual’s eligibility for the payment. For example, if you hold both a qualifying current account and a qualifying mortgage jointly with someone else, you will both be eligible to receive the payment. Similarly, qualifying savings will take account of the whole of any savings and cash ISA balances you hold in your sole name and those you hold jointly." People who are running an account for others that in someone else's name - under a power of attorney, third-party mandate or court order for example - won't be counted as a qualifying current account of mortgage. As a result, the money and any savings won't qualify towards savings for you, but will for the person whose name the account is in. When will the payment be made? Nationwide has said it plans to make payments to members between June 13 and June 28 next year. The bank says: " We will pay the money into your Nationwide current account. If you hold more than one current account with us, we may pay the money into any of those accounts. We will pay the money into an account in your sole name if you have one and will pay it into a joint account if you do not. The payment will appear on your current account statement as Nationwide Fairer Share Payment." A spokesman added: "We always do our best to ensure that the information is accurate and complete, but incomplete, inaccurate, or out of date information may mean we wrongly exclude you from the payment. We will make the payment if we find out you were wrongly excluded, but we will not be liable for any other loss you may incur if this happens. "We also cannot guarantee how quickly an application for a qualifying product might be completed and therefore will not be responsible if you miss out on the payment because of a delay in opening a relevant product. If, after checking your eligibility, you think you have been wrongly excluded, please get in touch and if we have got it wrong, we will take steps to put it right."
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